(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic telemetry systems, and more particularly to a sonar telemetry system that combines power and data signals on the same wire in an effort to reduce the number of wires in a towed array system including the tow cable and all of the nodes of the array.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Underwater towed acoustic sonar array reliability is a concern. Reducing the number of wires in a towed array system improves the array performance and reliability, while also decreasing fabrication and testing time. The concept of reducing the number of wires in an electrical system to improve performance and reliability gained widespread use in the telecommunications industry as exhibited by the of use only two wires for telephone circuitry. What is needed is a sonar telemetry system for an underwater towed acoustic sonar array that incorporates power and data on the same wire while sharing a common return or ground wire, and also incorporates a scheme for bi-directional data flow between all telemetry nodes.